Turkey call



Aug. 12, 1952 R. c. BoATwRlgfaHT TURKEY CALL 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 Filed Aug. 18, 1949 /hvenorz REUBEN C. BOATWR|GHT,

A Hornej Mm, M.

Patented Aug. 12,i 1952 UNITED, STATES y PATENT oiFFicE e, -A l""7"12,606,401 l' TURKEY CALLV Reuben CurtisoatwrighL'Fort Belvoir, Va. Appueaugii August 1s, 1949,"s eria1 No. 110,930

This invention relates to improvements in sounding devices and has relation moreparticularly to a device of this general character adapted to simulate the call of a'wild turkey, and itis an object of the invention "to provide a device'rcf this general character havingV novel and improved means whereby `the samemay be tuned to create a tonefor thedifferent species of `wild turkeys. 'A

'Another objectof the inventionis to provide a novel and improved -device of this general character including a box having a'sound-board, to-

pensive andk more convenient and advantageous forV use,` as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that the invention may be better understood, it will be described withzreference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevational view of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevational ure 1 =with` the i ront -coverf removed Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken-on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in top plan of the device;

Figure 6 is a vertical elevational view of the rear of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line l-l of Figure 2; and

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View Ftaken on line 8--8 of Figure 1.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by numerals, l Il denotes a sound-box of the proportions shown and provided with the end walls or panels Il and I2, all parts being made preferably of wood. The sound box is composed additionally, as shown in Figure 4, of the woo-den wall members I3, I4 and l5 and the soundingboard I6 provided with the downwardly depending tongue IT. The member I5 does not touch the sounding-board I6, but is spaced therefrom View of Fig- 3 Claims. (Cl. .4G-189) by a slo-t I8, as shown; clearly in Figure 4. The

sound-box is secured to a wooden-member 20 which in turn is provided with shafts 2l and 22.

The shaft 2l is supported loosely in upright post 23, as shown in Figure 8,*and shaft 22 is supported loosely in upright post 24, asshown in Figure 3. The post l24 is slotted in the manner shown and the slot contains a plunger 25 resting upon a spring 26 and the plunger is adapted to abut against an adjustable stop screw 27. As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the posts 23 and v24 are attached to a bottom member 28 and are further supported by the :front cover member 29 and the back cover member 39. The sound-box is adjustably secured to the member 201 by means of screws 3| passingrthrough slots 32 'provided in vthe member 28. The shafts 2 lv and 22 may,`if so desired', be embodied into one integral shaft passing through the member 20, but this is merely a matter of design.

Theshaft 22 rests upon the plunger 25v and is adapted to follow' downwardly with said plunger, in a manner hereinafter to be described. i

As seen in Figure 2, there is disposed beneath the tongue member Il, a slate member135, which serves'as part of a vibrator member 36, secured to the post 23 by the screw 3'! and restingatits free end upon a spring 33 supported bymember 39 adjustably secured tothe back cover member 3U by the screw 49. The spring vis adjustable by the screw 4I.

The slate member 35 is attached to member 36 by means -of vthebolt 45 and is cushioned bythe rubber ymember 46. The free 'end of the slate member 35 is provided with a rubberacushion member 41, `which in turn contacts ani-adjusting Vscrew 48, adjustable from the outside ofthe device by entering the opening 49, provided in bottom member 23.

The sound-box is adapted to contact, if necessary, an adjustable stop 50, secured to the back member 30 by screw 5I adjustable in slot 52.

Thus, from the description of parts it will be seen that the sound-box, sounding board and vibratory slate are supported, together with their adjustable features in a cradle, which cradle is made up of members 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30.

In operation, the operator holds the device, in one of his hands, say the left hand, by grasping the device by the front and back members 29 and 3U. Then with the right hand the soundbox is given a downward movement, which is permitted since the shaft 22 vis adapted to move downwardly with the plunger 25. This downward movement continues until the soundingboard tongue Il contacts'the slate member 35.

By imparting then a swinging movement to the sound-box in the direction indicated by the arrow A of Figures 3 and 4, and permitting the tongue Il to contact and rub across the surface of the slate member 35, the note of the wild turkey may be imitated to perfection. By varying the position at which the tongue Il contacts the slate member or changing the downward pressure on the sound-box when pushing it downwardly, the note may be varied from'a deep tone to a sharp one. Also to accomplish other adjustments to create differing tones for the difv tongue portion,

ferent species of wild turkeys, and to delicately adjust the entire device, the vibratory member can be adjusted by moving the spring 38 up or down by adjusting the screw 4|. The free end of the slate member 35 can be adjusted by manipulating the screw 48. The sound-box may be vis especially adapted for use by hunters.

From the foregoing, it will be noted there has been devised a simple and efficient improved sounding device, and one which has been found by experience to be desirable and practical. `I claim: l

1.` A turkey-call comprising a sound-box made of wood or other suitable material in the-form of a hollow receptacle and provided with shafts loosely supported in a supporting cradle for movement therein, a sounding-board tted over said hollow receptacle and secured throughout most of its marginal edge portion thereto, said sounding-board on one of its longitudinal edges having a downwardly depending tongue portion and projecting over a longitudinal edge of said hollow receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a slot co-extensive therewith, and between the under face of said sounding-board and said longitudinal edge of said hollow receptacle, a piece of slate supported in said cradle adjacent to and beneath'said tongue portion and adapted to be held against said tongue portion, said soundingboard' being adapted for moving frictional contact with said plate in theregion of said depending tongue, thereby causing a vibration'of lsaid sounding board in imitation of the note of the wild turkey.

2. A turkey-call comprising a sound-box made of wood or other suitable material in the form 'of la hollow receptacle and provided with shafts 'and Vadjustably supported in a supporting cradle for oscillatory and depressible movement therein, v

a sounding-board fitted over said hollow receptacle and secured throughout most of its marginal edge portion thereto, said sounding-board on one of its longitudinal edges having a downwardly depending tongue portion and projecting over a longitudinal edge of said hollow receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a slot coextensive therewith, and between the under face of said sounding-board and said longitudinal edge of said hollow receptacle, a piece of slate supported in said cradle adjacent to" and beneath said tongue portion and adapted to beheld lagainst said said sounding-board being adapted for moving, frictional contact with said slate in the region of said depending tongue when depressed and oscillated, thereby causing a vibration of said sounding-board in imitation of theA note of the wild turkey.

3'. A turkey-call comprising a sound-box made of wood or other suitable material in the form of a hollow receptacle and adjustably supported for oscillatory and depressible movement in a supporting cradle which includes two spaced Vertical supports, said sound-box being disposed between said supports and having shafts, one of which is loosely supported in one of said supports and the other of which is loosely and adjustably supported in the other of said supports, a sounding-board fitted over said hollow receptable and secured throughout most of its marginal` edge portion thereto, said sounding-board on one of its longitudinal edges having a downwardly depending tongue portion and projecting over a longitudinal edge of saidfhollowA receptacle and spaced therefromvto form a slot co-extensive therewith, and between the under face of said sounding-board and said longitudinal edge lof said hollow receptacle, a piece of slate lsupported in said cradle adjacent to and beneath said tongue portion and adapted to be held against said tongue portion, saidfsoundingboard being adapted for moving, frictional con- .tact with said slate in the region of said de- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,449,756 Jackson Mar. 217, 1923 2,025,181

Simon Dec.`24, 1935 

